Glass of Health

The Wellness Tree brings fresh juices to South Perry

The Wellness Tree Health Clinic and Juice Bar is like walking into an Apple store with a splash of Douglas fir. Maybe a little more than a splash. The white countertops and chairs, coupled with the wooden shelves and seating, create a clean and fresh atmosphere, just like the juice served up at the café. But when a patron walks into this juice bar on South Perry Street, they won't just be served up a classic green drink, but a variety of healthy options prepared by doctors.

Patrick Love and Lauren Boldebuck are naturopathic doctors who wanted a way to promote healthy living and their services — anything from remedies for the common cold to more serious illnesses.

"Food can be medicine. That's kind of what we're trying to do with the juice bar — make people feel better," Boldebuck says.

The juice bar, an open space with garage-style windows, sits next to Perry Street Brewing. A faux wall made of Douglas fir shelving hosts plants and elixirs, and separates the bar from a waiting room and a long hallway with rooms for private sessions.

Love and Boldebuck met while studying at the National University of Health Sciences in Illinois. Love, who is originally from Spokane and obtained his bachelor's from Washington State University, is a chiropractic physician. Boldebuck is an acupuncturist with her master's in Oriental medicine.

"You can add a few herbs, make a drink that's good for you and tastes good too," Love says.

Some of those include the refreshing Cool Down with watermelon, pear, cucumber, mint, lemon, and for a kick, cayenne and a pinch of salt. The bar also serves smoothies, coffee, acai bowls, shots and elixirs ($5-$7).

Elixirs are essentially a medicinal drink, both tea- and juice-based, with herbs from South America, Love said.

Wellness Tree also offers any juice steamed, which will allow customers to continue enjoying their fresh juices during the winter months.